Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of exogenous abscisic acid regulation on tuberous root development in Pseudostellaria heterophylla

Abscisic acid (ABA) significantly regulates plant growth and development, promoting tuberous root formation in various plants. However, the molecular mechanisms of ABA in the tuberous root development of Pseudostellaria heterophylla are not yet fully understood. This study utilized Illumina sequencing and de novo assembly strategies to obtain a reference transcriptome associated with ABA treatment. Subsequently, integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were used to determine gene expression profiles in P. heterophylla tuberous roots. ABA treatment significantly increases the diameter and shortens the length of tuberous roots. Clustering analysis identified 2,256 differentially expressed genes and 679 differentially abundant proteins regulated by ABA. Gene co-expression and protein interaction networks revealed ABA positively induced 30 vital regulators. Furthermore, we identified and assigned putative functions to transcription factors (PhMYB10, PhbZIP2, PhbZIP, PhSBP) that mediate ABA signaling involved in the regulation of tuberous root development, including those related to cell wall metabolism, cell division, starch synthesis, hormone metabolism. Our findings provide valuable insights into the complex signaling networks of tuberous root development modulated by ABA. It provided potential targets for genetic manipulation to improve the yield and quality of P. heterophylla, which could significantly impact its cultivation and medicinal value.